Collision Domain
by Lynn Jones
Summary: In the eight years between Attenuation and System Error, there was heartbreak and triumph and love and plots. This is a series of oneshots revealing some of what happened in that time. Welcome to the collision domain. IzayaxOC. ShizuoxOC.
1. Aria

**To answer the question of why Arlua and Izaya didn't hae a child between Attenuation and System Error: we have this lovely and depressing oneshot**

**Disclaimer: i own only my OCs**

Shizuo burst into the hospital room, Tania on his heels, holding the nine-month-old Rimiko. Supai had just barely beaten them there, and Kadota was already inside the room with Izaya, both standing over the hospital bed and the unconscious figure laying there. Shinra stood by the door with Celty, features set in a grim expression.

"What happened? That da-" Shizuo broke off with a tremendous effort and a glance at Rimiko. "The flea just said it was Arlua. What's going on?" Everyone looked to Shinra, who closed his eyes, unusually serious, before explaining.

Arlua's eyes fluttered open and she found her boyfriend and the man she regarded as a brother standing over her.

"You're awake!" Kadota seemed relieved, if still terribly upset for some reason, but Izaya's expression was a barely-masked sea of anguish. His eyes held more pain than Arlua had known he was capable of showing, even to her. When he picked up her hand in his, she felt his fingers shaking and tried to soothe him.

"It's all right, Izzy," she murmured. "They hit my ribs, just like what happened to you. Shinra said nothing vital got hit remember?" The information broker looked away, his grip tightening on her hand.

"Lu-chan..." he choked, unable to continue.

"Shinra knew about the baby," Kadota reminded her gently. "With the blood loss and temporary shock, he wanted to put you under quickly, but with something that wouldn't hurt the baby. But he didn't have the medication at his house, so we were going to bring you here."

"I remember all that. To be safe, he said," she agreed. She frowned, looking from one man to the next. "Izzy...Kyohei..."

"They whisked you away before anyone could tell them," Izaya spat. "The nurses didn't listen to me or to Shinra. They said they were sure the doctors were aware of the situation. Their treatments -their operations or anesthesia or something- was too much." There was an indescribable agony, an unquenchable hate in the informant's voice.

"No..." The word was a whisper. She knew what he would say next, dreaded it, wanted desperately for him to say something else, anything else...

"Arlua," Kadota began gently. Izaya cut him off with a look, and Arlua knew he felt the need to tell her himself, since it had been someone looking for revenge on him who had attacked her. Kind of like Natsuki a little over two years before. Only this one had been more concise.

"Arlua, you had a miscarriage," Izaya managed. "The baby is gone." A choked sob racked her body as grief flooded her. The words had been said and they could never be taken back.

This could never be undone. Through her tears, she looked up and saw Izaya trembling with his own grief and rage. He had been thrilled when she had told him she was pregnant, and they had agreed not to tell anyone except Shinra, who treated their wounds, and Kadota, who had become Arlua's closest confidant. She hadn't wanted to disrupt Shizuo as Tania's life with Rimiko, not when it was so early and the pregnancy was still so fragile.

They had wanted to protect their baby.

Now their baby was dead.

Never again, Arlua thought, fighting the overwhelming sorrow welling inside her. I will never again risk an innocent baby's life simply because we wanted a child.

"No more," she sobbed. Izaya nodded woodenly, understanding and agreeing.

They would not have children of their own, and they would always remember why: because any child of theirs would be in constant danger, would be targeted and hated. Izaya had plenty of people who wanted him dead. Even Arlua had enemies, people she had hacked and ruined.

They were enough for each other. Their little family of two would never grow.

But Izaya had one last thing to say, and when she heard it, it reduced Arlua to a crushed, wrecked state that would take her over a year to recover from.

"It was a girl. I was thinking...if she had lived...I know we decided to wait to discuss it until we were ready to tell other people, but...Aria would have been a nice name..."


	2. Double Trouble

**Disclaimer: i own only my OCs, which for this chapter means just Arlua. **

Arlua sighed as she left the office she had recently started renting for FanaTECH, which she had taken over after Akuro ran off.

"You're the one Iza-nii is obsessed with," an unfamiliar voice observed. Arlua blinked at the source of the voice, a girl with glasses and her long brown hair in a slender braid. Beside her stood a girl without glasses, whose hair was much shorter and not braided.

"I'm sorry, who?" Arlua questioned. She had a nagging suspicion she knew who these two were.

Iza-nii...Izaya? She remembered him mentioning something about twin sisters. What had their names been?

"Iza-nii! It's weird that he's obsessed with you; you don't have very large breasts," the bespectacled girl announced. "But then, Iza-nii is stupid, so maybe that's it." Arlua gaped at the girl, who couldn't have been older than fifteen.

"You're a blunt little thing aren't you?" the technician muttered. "Anyway, I beg to differ on Izzy's intelligence, if that's who you're talking about. I find him rather clever when he's not being irritating."

"Iza-nii? Clever? If he were clever he'd do like Shizuo wants and get hit by a truck or something so Shizuo would let us meet his brother," the girl huffed. Arlua frowned.

"That's an awful thing to say," she snapped. The girl shrugged.

"If you say so. Anyway, I'm sure he didn't tell you our names," she continued. "I'm-"

"Mairu Orihara," Arlua broke in. "He said you were the loud, bratty one." The girl blinked, then giggled, much to Arlua's surprise.

"Hear that, Kuru-nee? She knows who we are!" Mairu exclaimed. The other girl, who Arlua figured was the older, quieter one, Kururi, studied her silently for a moment.

Then she nodded calmly.

"Still doesn't change the fact that you're flat-chested," Mairu announced, addressing Arlua once more. The tehnician scowled at her.

"I am not!"

"You are too! I have bigger boobs than you! And I'll prove it if you don't believe me!"

"I am not comparing bust sizes with a middle schooler," Arlua snapped. "No wonder Izzy said you're a brat!" Mairu smirked.

"And you're a sore loser. Iza-nii hates to lose too. Maybe you two do fit after all."

"And he's frequently aggravating, just like you. Maybe you two are siblings after all," Arlua shot back. She and Mairu eyed each other for a moment.

Then, at the same time, both of them smiled.

"Feel free to drop by again some time," Arlua offered. "I enjoy a good argument now and then."

"And I always appreciate the self-esteem boost from beating people in arguments," Mairu grinned. Arlua rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm pretty sure I beat you, not the other way around!"


	3. Rio: Beginning

**This is just a little drabble about how Supai and Rio started talking, shortly after Malcolm's death. **

**Disclaimer: my ocs are mine and the characters who are not my ocs are not mine.**

"Rio Kamichika." The girl looked up when she heard her name, then blinked. It was one of the boys in her class. She searched briefly for his name.

"Orihara, right?" she replied softly. "Supai Orihara."

"That's right," he replied. "I wondered if you knew my name or not," the boy said with a smile. "You certainly don't know my cousin's name, despite what he's done to you."

"Everyone knows your name," she replied, keeping her expression neutral. She didn't say why. She figured he would understand without her having to say so. A brief flash of grief crossed his face, and she knew she had been right. But then, she had heard that Supai Orihara was related to some famous underground informant in Shinjuku, so that probably explained why he seemed to understand so much. "You were saying something about your cousin?"

"Yes. I'm sure you've heard of him: Izaya Orihara, the information broker," Supai told her, snatching the return to the subject he had wanted to discuss. "I call him the maggot."

"He's never done anything to me," the girl protested. Supai hesitated.

"He occasionally goes by different names, especially online. For example, one of his aliases is Nakura," he explained, watching her reaction closely. Her eyes darkened when she heard that.

"So it was you cousin who…"

"Yes. I broke into his office a few weeks ago, right after…" Supai trailed off, then shook himself and continued, "Anyway, I found his file on you. I wanted to apologize for what he did." The girl blinked. He knew…he knew what had happened that night on the rooftop. He knew how Nakura –Izaya- had tricked her. And yet his apology was sincere and challenging, not pitying. That was good. She had decided after the mysterious shadows saved her that she was done with pity.

"You're not like him," she said out loud, tilting her head slightly.

"Of course. I don't look down on others or think I'm above them," Supai replied. "I'm fully aware that I'm just a weak, ordinary human." He was quiet for a moment, and Rio thought he would leave, but instead, he added, "I couldn't save Malcolm. I didn't even realize he was in trouble. I can't apologize to him to his face until my life is done, so I decided to find some of the people the maggot has wronged and apologize to them."

"Is that all you're doing?" she asked. Supai gave her a wry smile.

"Of course not. I was glad to have an excuse to talk to a nice girl. And I'm working to bring the maggot down, break his hold on Ikebukuro," he confided, surprising himself by confiding his goal to someone he had only just met that day. To his further surprise, Rio Kamichika gave him an approving nod.

"That's an excellent goal. He shouldn't be able to get away with certain things," she announced, remembering that night on the rooftop. She met Supai's astonished gaze steadily.

"Can I help?"


	4. When She Says Baby

**Just a little Drabble inspired by Jason Aldean's song to make up for Rimiko being kidnapped in System Error. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs**

There were times when Shizuo wanted to give in again. Wanted to go back to simply letting himself get angry and throw things, then hating himself later. As much as he had been on the border between misery and contentment, as much as he had despised his own violence, it had been easier to give in to his anger.

But then he came home, and Tania greeted him with that smile of hers that was becoming more frequent. Sometimes he would walk in the door and just stand for a moment, watching her come toward him and feeling the day's frustration wash away.

"Welcome home, Zuo," she would murmur as she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. And as those slender fingers worked their way through the tangles the day had made in his shaggy blond hair, massaging his scalp and relaxing him, she would gently pull him down as she stretched up and kiss him. He would wrap his arms around her wiry frame and hold her while she played with his hair. Coming home to her calmed him, gave him a sense of peace that he hadn't known since he first displayed his strength.

It was a small thing, but to him it was everything, and it made holding his temper worth it.

And on the days when Tania wouldn't be home when he got there, because she had a meeting or had to stay to help a student, or because he got of work early, he would go to Supai's or Arlua's to pick up Rimiko, and his daughter would always stop whatever she was doing to throw herself at him, beaming and calling, "Daddy! Daddy!"

And scooping his little girl into his arms and holding her as she told him about her day was as soothing in its way as being greeted by Tania, to the point that even after a bad day, even if Izaya was there to sneer at him, Shizuo held his temper and simply thanked Arlua before taking his daughter home.

There was a flip side to the peace his family brought them. He loved them so much that he knew that if anyone ever hurt them, that person wouldn't survive his rage.

No one who hurt his wife or daughter would get away. He would kill them, and he wouldn't even feel bad about it.


	5. Aria: Aftermath

**Oh, you thought there would be another light, cute oneshot? Not today, sorry.**

**Disclaimer: sadly, only my OCs are mine.**

Arlua woke up pretty much the same way she had since coming home from the hospital. She came to slowly, letting her grief wash over her, then carefully locked her emotional pain away, focusing on the lingering discomfort in her ribcage and trying to let that draw her attention away from the loss of her child.

Aria. The daughter she would never get to meet, the product of her union with Izaya Orihara. They weren't married – they probably never would be, since taking his name would make her an even more visible target for his enemies – but she knew from the last few years of being with him that he would never be with anyone else, and she knew that she would never love anyone the way she loved him.

They lived as if they were married, though, sharing apartment around Ikebukuro and Shinjuku and even a few of the neighboring districts, where they weren't known and could therefore lay low when necessary. They had agreed that when their child was born, they would pick one of the districts and live there with the child, commuting to work or simply working remotely. They would raise the child away from the danger that came with being who they were, until the child was old enough to defend themselves.

Now that wasn't something they had to worry about, because their child was gone.

All of these thoughts poured through Arlua's mind every morning as she went through the routine of doing the exercises Shinra had ordered her to do to keep in shape without tearing her stiches or straining herself.

It had only been a week since she left the hospital, discharged because she simply couldn't bear to be there anymore. She would have her stiches removed soon.

She wondered where Izaya had gone. He was usually nearby when she woke up, but not this time. She listened as she went through her exercises and realized she couldn't hear him in any part of the apartment. Maybe he had an early meeting that she had forgotten him telling her about.

She missed him desperately, the emotion washing over her with a sudden urgency that stunned and embarrassed her.

She wanted nothing more in that moment than to crawl back into bed and for him to be waiting there, to curl up against his side and have him wrap his arms around her, one hand resting on her hip or stomach and the other stroking her cheek lightly, comforting her.

He found her there, sitting on the floor in the bedroom, crying. He had simply gone to meet Kadota, who was dropping off food for the two of them, as he had started doing since Arlua came home from the hospital.

He was silent as he knelt beside her and pulled her against him so that her head rested against his chest. He had a feeling that she didn't care to hear any explanations at the moment, just needed the contact. As she melted into his hold, he realized that she had gotten much easier to predict in the last week, if only because she was too caught up in her pain to be her usual self.

He resolved then to find a way to help her work through this instead of suppressing it, to help her return to herself, because he hated seeing her so broken. It made his own pain scrape at his already-raw grief.

"I love you, Lu-chan," he murmured, pretty much the only thing he could think to say right then. That and "Come back to bed. You didn't sleep well last night,"

Neither of them had been sleeping well. He didn't know about her, but he kept finding himself awake, trying to think of a way he could have prevented what had happened, and coming up blank every time. If he could find something, then he would be able to blame himself for his mistake and focus on that. But instead, it just hit home every time how utterly helpless, how completely powerless, he had been in that situation.

Just like this situation, where he felt powerless to make himself or Arlua feel any better at all.


	6. Hello Rimiko

**This chapter has a swearing warning for Tania's surprisingly dirty mouth.**

**Disclaimer: my OCs are mine, like they always have been, and DRRR! Is not mine, as always.**

Shizuo stared at the closed door, terrified out of his mind. For once, his strength wouldn't help at all. He could only sit by and watch. And listen. He could hear her screaming, swearing at the top of her lungs, combining phrases in increasingly imaginative ways.

_Don't they know what anesthesia is?! _ he thought desperately. A few minutes later, he knew something had to be going wrong for her to be yelling about 'bloody fucking asshole doctors with shit for brains'.

The strongest man in Ikebukuro was tempted to cover his ears and cower in the corner, since he wasn't allowed in the room anymore after he had accidentally crushed the arm of the chair he had been sitting in.

"Shi, are you okay? You don't look so good," Arlua informed him, seeming to appear at his side from out of nowhere. He glowered at the technician and ignored her question.

"Is that damn flea with you?" he demanded.

"No, he said something about not wanting you to destroy the hospital with me in it," she replied calmly, tilting her head as another shriek was heard from the room.

"I am pushing you shithead!" Shizuo grimaced.

"I never knew she could swear like that," he muttered miserably, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I almost wish the flea had come with you; I could use someone to beat up on," the blond added, voice tight with worry.

"Which, again, is precisely why I left him at home," Arlua replied reasonably.

"It shouldn't be taking this long, should it?" Shizuo grumbled, no longer focused on frustration and now simply more worried than he had known it was possible to be.

"How long has it been?" Arlua replied. Shizuo glanced at the clock a little way down the hallway.

"Uh…half an hour?"

"Shi, it'll be a while," Arlua told him, trying not to laugh.

How long is a while?" her friend growled.

"Um…several hours?"

"Damn it!"

One punched wall, three stress-relieving walks, five calm reassurances of the doctors' capabilities, seven interventions from various people (Tom, Supai, Kasuka, Kadota, Celty, Shinra, and Arlua), and nine hours later, Shizuo was standing beside Tania's hospital bed, beaming down at his exhausted wife.

"You didn't destroy too much of their furniture, did you, Zuo?" the teacher murmured. He knelt, holding her hand reverently in both of his.

"Uh…"

"Mr. and Mrs. Heiwajima?" a nurse stepped into the room, holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. Shizuo surged to his feet, staring in awe at the newborn as the nurse carried her toward them. The woman hesitated as Shizuo stepped forward, then tentatively held the infant out to him.

The tall man was infinitely gentle as he settled the baby – his daughter! – in his arms, watching the tiny, half-asleep girl with an expression of utter adoration.

"Rimiko Heiwajima," he whispered. He glanced at Tania, a wide grin spreading across his face. "She's perfect, Ani."

"Of course she is," his wife replied softly. Shizuo sat gingerly on the edge of the hospital bed, holding their daughter so Tania could reach out and touch the newborn's cheek. The baby stirred, blinking blearily, and yawned.

"Hello, Rimi-chan," he murmured. "I'm so happy to finally be able to hold you."

"And you can be happy to finally be able to change her diapers, too," Tania murmured dryly. Shizuo just grinned.


	7. Informant's Jealousy

**I've decided to do a chapter where each character is jealous over their significant other. Just for fun, I decided to start with my favorite informant. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara!**

Izaya scowled. He had been enjoying the opportunity to observe so many of his lovely humans at one time, but now the event – a gathering celebrating the official transfer of ownership of FanaTECH to Arlua, hosted by some large company that had a contract with her already – was being spoiled. All by the head of the company hosting the party, who had decided that flirting with a certain technician would be a pleasant way to pass the time.

Arlua, of course, was seemingly oblivious to the way the man had positioned his body, so that anyone who tried to approach her would have to move between them, which he discouraged with a glare and a hand on the technician's arm. He was talking to her about something – Izaya wasn't sure what, but he was sure that it was unnecessary for the man to have his hand resting on her arm like that, in a distinctly possessive manner, and it was _definitely_ unnecessary for him to be monopolizing her.

Still, Arlua seemed to be ignoring the hand and the close quarters and the fact that she hadn't been talking to anyone else. The information broker waited for her to step back, to casually ease away from the man's hand, to politely make some excuse to talk to someone else. But she didn't.

So he decided it was time to intervene. She was _his_ now, damn it, and he didn't like some lowly human thinking he could touch her.

"Excuse me," he said cheerfully. "I think it's time someone told you that she has a boyfriend, and he's surprisingly possessive." Arlua turned to him, a relieved smile pulling the corners of her mouth upward, but still the man didn't remove his hand, simply shifting so he could eye Izaya distastefully.

"Why are you here, informant? Shouldn't you be spying on someone?" he snapped.

"Actually, no, I have more pleasant things to do tonight," Izaya replied easily, hiding his irritation with the man and glancing meaningfully at Arlua. The man didn't take the hint.

"That's nice for you. But if she had a boyfriend, shouldn't he be the one telling me that? If he's not here, then he can't be that possessive. Besides, I don't see a ring or anything," he added, turning to look Arlua over appreciatively. She grimaced, and Izaya scowled.

"Her boyfriend _is_ the one telling you," he snapped, tone laced with anger. "I was trying to be nice for Lu-chan's sake, but now I'm just going to be direct. Let go of her and leave her alone." The man opened his mouth to reply, and Izaya bulldozed over whatever he had been about to say. "As for a ring, here." He took the silver ring from his right hand and set it on top of Arlua's head. "There, there's a ring on her now." He then briskly seized the man's wrist, twisted it, and removed his hand from Arlua's arm. The man hissed and backed away, wrenching out of Izaya's hold.

"You little-" Izaya's cold smirk stopped his words.

"Lu-chan is _mine._ Unfortunately I can't kill you since she has a support contract with you, but I can make you miserable if you don't _go away. NOW._" The man fled hastily, and Izaya turned to Arlua with a scowl.

"Why didn't you send him on his way sooner?" he demanded. Arlua bit her lip, fighting to keep her expression neutral.

"Because it would have been impolite, and since he's the one paying for this…" she murmured, gesturing around to indicate the gathering.

"So you let him get that close?' Izaya scowled. "He was all over you." The technician grinned and reached up to take the ring off of her head. She examined it for a moment, then closed her fingers around it.

"Because I tried, and he ignored my attempts to get rid of him. Besides, you're surprisingly possessive, and I enjoy making you jealous every now and then, since you make an incredibly attractive jealous boyfriend, Izzy," she replied, a slight smirk twisting her lips. She stepped closer to him, so her body brushed against his. "By the way, I'm definitely keeping this," she added, slipping the ring into her pocket. Izaya blinked and shook his head.

"You never cease to surprise me, Lu-chan."


	8. Technician's Jealousy

**Jealous characters part 2! Its Arlua's turn!**

**Disclaimer: I own only my OCs**

Arlua stretched and slowly opened her eyes, frowning when she didn't feel the warmth of Izaya next to her. She sat up and looked around sleepily. Where had he gone? Hearing voices down the hallway and thinking maybe a client had dropped by, she pulled on one of his shirts and a pair of jeans before padding out to the living room area, which – in this apartment at least – occasionally served as an alternate office.

The technician was about to enter the room when she realized that the person Izaya was talking to was female.

"Is that all you have for me?" the information broker's familiar voice inquired.

"Well, that's all the information I have, but if you want something else…" the woman's voice purred suggestively. Arlua froze in place.

"I do have a girlfriend, you know," he replied evenly.

_That's not necessarily a rejection,_ Arlua realized. Apparently the woman in the room had the same realization, because the sound of someone sitting on the couch and shifting around could be heard.

"That dry little tech girl? She hardly counts as female, and I can't imagine she's that great a lover," the female voice purred. More shifting.

"I don't appreciate you trying to degrade Lu-chan," Izaya informed the visitor.

"But you would appreciate what I can do," she murmured. "Surely a famous information broker like you isn't above accepting a little…bonus?" Arlua had heard enough by that point.

"I would hope that he is," she snapped, stepping into the room and glaring at the visitor, a curvy young woman in a skimpy black dress who was straddling Izaya's lap while the informant sat on the couch. "I would especially hope that he's above accepting a 'bonus' from a slut like you." The woman smirked.

"If he were, he would have pushed me away by now," she replied silkily. Arlua clenched her jaw, refusing to look at Izaya and instead crossed the room to the computer set up there. She picked up her phone from its place beside the computer and shut it off. Then, feeling the confused gaze of the visitor and the apprehensive gaze of the informant on her, she logged on to the computer and activated a program that she didn't usually have running.

"You're right. Feel free to stay as long as you like," Arlua said icily. "Don't count on trying to call for a ride home, though." Then she locked the computer – Izaya hadn't figured out her latest password yet – and headed for the door.

"Lu-chan," he began, apparently finding his voice at last. She didn't reply, just shot a venomous look in his general direction and snatched her purse as she slipped on her shoes, then stalked out of the apartment. She heard a short scuffle and a muffled squeak as she shut the door behind her, refusing to look over her shoulder and see what they were doing.

She waited until she was a full block away from the apartment building before she turned her phone back on. She didn't want the nasty virus she had activated and broadcast over the apartment wifi to catch her phone, after all. She wondered briefly if Izaya would be smart enough not to use any of his cell phone, and hoped that the unknown woman, at least, would try to use her phone before getting too far from the apartment.

Arlua dialed Kadota's number and was about to hit the call button when she heard Izaya's voice, much closer than she had expected.

"Lu-chan, if you rush off like that, I can't explain," the informant sighed, his breath tickling her ear. She tensed.

"I think the situation was rather self-explanatory," she replied sharply.

"What, you think I'm attracted to any human who wants to sleep with me?" he asked, exasperation showing in the fact that he was trying to hide it by staying behind her. "Lu-chan, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't do things like that with mere humans?"

"I don't care how many times you tell me, I care how many times your female clients end up on your lap – or in a more compromising position."

"Arlua Teki, I do _not_ sleep with my clients," he snapped. "And I can't believe you think I would cheat on you." She blinked, astonished to see that while his expression was disbelieving, his eyes were dark and sad, as if her lack of faith in him hurt him. She studied him for a long moment and realized the pain in his gaze was real.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, reaching up to rest a hand on his cheek. "I really am."

"And I'm sorry I even let that particular human into the apartment," he replied. Arlua smiled slightly, an expression that became a sheepish grin when he added, "Was the wifi virus really necessary? Half my phones are dead, and the neighbors are complaining. That's why I didn't catch up to you sooner."


	9. Teacher's Jealousy

**More jealousy! I'm on a roll today!**

**Disclaimer: my OCs are mine. That's it. Nothing else is mine.**

Tania didn't even pause. She simply aimed and fired.

The woman deserved a bullet in her foot for being draped over Shizuo like that, and Shizuo deserved a punishment too, for letting the stranger hang on him that way.

Tania had, after all, been trying to surprise her fiancé by bringing him lunch while he was at work, since he had to work on Saturday, when she didn't have to be at the school. But when she found them –she had texted Tom to ask where they would be, since the point was to surprise Shizuo- she had seen a strange woman –a well-endowed, flirtatious woman- pressing her body to his, her arms around his neck. And she was stretching up on tiptoe and murmuring seductively, "Hey there, you're Heiwajima, right? I don't have any money to pay back my debt, but I could pay you back another way."

Tania had simply handed the lunch she had brought for Shizuo to Tom, drawn her gun, and shot the woman's foot. Blood began to seep from the wound as the woman yelped and pulled away from Shizuo, then collapsed with a pitiful wail when she tried to put weight on her injured foot. Shizuo gaped at the injured woman, then look around for the shooter and saw Tania calmly holstering her weapon.

"Ani…?" he stared at her. "You just…" He trailed off when he took in her icy expression.

"Shizuo Heiwajima, I expect an explanation from you," she announced, her tone frigid. "But not right now since you're at work, and I would really rather not shoot you, too, which I might if I don't leave now." With that, she turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving her stunned fiancé standing next to the bleeding stranger. He started to call out to her, then stopped, closing his eyes.

"She'll calm down eventually," Tom said sympathetically. She's upset now, but once you explain, she'll understand." Shizuo looked at his boss helplessly.

"You sure?" Tom smiled reassuringly.

"Miss Yuuki rarely shows her emotions, from what you've told me. If she's reacting this strongly, it means she loves you a lot, and she'll be willing to forgive you. She may be angry for a while, but I'm sure she knows that you would never encourage another woman," the man pointed out. Shizuo nodded and sighed, then turned to the injured woman, who was blubbering incoherently and staring at her own damaged foot.

"What should we do with her?"

"Take her to the hospital, I guess. I just hope Miss Yuuki doesn't get in trouble for shooting her," Tom replied. Shizuo grimaced. It was going to be a long day.

"Ani?" Shizuo called when he entered the apartment he and Tania had gotten together just a few weeks before. "Ani, are you here?"

"Yes, Shizuo. I'm in the bedroom," her voice called back coolly. He followed her voice down the short hall and opened the bedroom door. She was wrapped in her bath robe, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Ani…" The speech he had prepared that afternoon on his way home flew out of his mind. He struggled to find the words he wanted for a moment, then finally just crossed the room and knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Ani, I love you so much. I don't know what I would do without you. Please…I would never willingly let anyone get that close, but I couldn't get her off without hurting her, and you know I've been trying not to hurt people while I'm working. I couldn't think of anything else to do besides just not react. I know you're mad, and I can't stand the thought that I hurt you today. Please believe me, Ani, I would never do anything to hurt you." His fingers, wrapped around hers, trembled as he bowed his head, waiting for her reply.

Tania regarded him silently for a moment, then gently pulled her hands away. He took this as a sign of her displeasure and stared hopelessly at his now-empty hands. For another long moment, he felt despair welling up in him. What if Tom was wrong? What if she never forgave him?

Then he felt her fingers ease into his hair, teasing at the day's tangles in the shaggy blond strands. At first he was tense, terrified that one wrong move would make her pull away again. But then he relaxed as she simply continued to run her slender fingers through his hair.

"I love you, too, Zuo. That woman just…reminded me of Homeron, I guess. It felt like she was trying to take you for herself, even just temporarily. And I didn't like that one bit," she said softly. "But I know you would never cheat on me. I just needed some time to cool down." Shizuo lifted his head and gazed up at her, his warm brown eyes full of relief.

"You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not, Zuo," she murmured. "You're not just the strongest man in Ikebukuro; you're the most loyal and caring one, too." She leaned down and kissed him then, and the movement of her mouth on his was sweet yet possessive, trusting yet seductive as she drew him up from his knees so she could reach him better. And that kiss was a promise of love and understanding, a hint of the forever they would share.


	10. Bodyguard's Jealousy

**This one is shorter and not as detailed because I don't want Shizuo to kill me.**

**Disclaimer: I own only my OCs.**

Shizuo carried Rimiko toward where Tania was supposed to be waiting with Supai, who had just graduated high school. The ceremony had been too long for the young Rimiko to sit through quietly, so her father had taken her outside for a bit. When the blond approached his wife, though, he found her edging away from a strange man, with Supai nowhere in sight. He saw her hand inching toward the concealed holster at the small of her back and stalked over. Just before he reached them, he heard a bit of their conversation.

"Aw, come on, you husband won't know," the man was saying, his hand reaching for Tania's waist.

"Whether he would know or not is irrelevant," she replied icily. "You are repulsive, and even if I were attracted to you, I would not betray my husband." The man's hand landed on her waist just as her hand reached the handle of her gun, and Shizuo's hand shot out and seized the man's wrist.

"Don't you dare touch her," the blond growled. "She said no, and she's married. Don't you even know who she is?" he spat. The man smirked at him, and Shizuo knew what he must look like at first glance: a harried father with a wife of his own who didn't like someone harassing another person's wife, but who probably wouldn't get too involved because he was looking after his child.

"Oh? Is she someone special?" the man sneered, trying to twist out of Shizuo's grip on his wrist. The blond's expression darkened, and the man started to look nervous.

"Yes, she is," Shizuo growled. "That's Tania Heiwajima. My wife." The confusion in the stranger's expression turned to open terror as he made the connections. Tania Heiwajima…the blond's wife…and the blond was dressed like a bartender, he realized…

"Oh, shit," the man squeaked. Shizuo's scowl deepened.

"Don't swear in front of small children, you asshole!" he spat. "And don't touch my wife!" With that, Shizuo wrenched the man's wrist sideways, away from Tania, and then threw the man one-handed.

Little Rimiko in his arms clapped excitedly as she watched the human projectile crash-land into the graduation stage, while Tania eyed her husband appraisingly.

"You realize you just swore in front of her too?" the teacher inquired calmly. Shizuo blinked, then grimaced.

"Sorry, Ani," he muttered. "I just…"

"I know." She studied him for a moment, then seemed to reach a conclusion. "You need some time to calm down," she murmured, resting a hand on his arm and moving it slowly up and down. "And maybe a distraction." He caught her meaning, and his scowl turned to an expectant grin.

"I think Arlua is free to babysit tonight," he told her. Tania nodded.

"I think so, too," she agreed. "Let's go ask her."


	11. Cop Car

**Welcome to Rio and Supai's "first date"!**

**Disclaimer: Rio is not mine, and neither is any other DRRR character; only Supai and Arlua are.**

So does this happen on all your first dates?" Rio asked dryly. Supai grimaced, feeling the cold metal of the handcuffs on his skin and not liking it one bit.

"Of course not. I usually save this stuff for the second date," he replied. She rolled her eyes at him, her own pair of handcuffs glinting in the multicolored glow of police lights.

_**Earlier…**_

"Are you sure about this?" Supai asked. "This is your last chance to back out." Rio gave him a look that made his heart skip a beat, steady and determined and fierce, so different from her distant expression at school.

"I said I would help you bring hour cousin down. If breaking into his office will help you do that, then I'm with you," she told him. He studied her for a long moment, then pulled out the electronic lock pick he had snatched from Arlua's apartment and set it to the keypad.

A moment later, the door clicked open, giving no sign that their forced entry had triggered the silent alarm that Arlua and Izaya had finished setting up the day before.

Fifteen minutes later, as they were browsing the hardcopy files and waiting for Supai's hacking virus –also borrowed from Arlua – to crack the password, the police arrived.

Five minutes after that, they were handcuffed, side by side, in the back seat of a police car.

"Your parents are going to kill me," Supai sighed. Then he glanced at her, at the way the lights highlighted her features, and was surprised to find her eyes gleaming with excitement.

_Maybe…just maybe…is she enjoying this? The danger, getting in trouble…?_ he thought. Rio grinned at him, and he found himself grinning back, his heart skipping a beat once again.

"I should've known he'd have a silent alarm," Supai laughed.

"You should've brought something to take care of that, too, since you had something to handle the rest of his security," she replied.

"Yeah, I'll bring something for it next time," he laughed. Their eyes met.

_What a first date though,_ he thought.


	12. Young Strength

**This was actually a request from Bellflower's tale (the shield idea is great, but at this point she hasn't shown her strength, so Izzy wouldn't have a reason for it. Maybe I'll work it into a chapter when she's older.), and I liked the idea, so here we go!**

**Disclaimer: my OCs belong to me, and although I wish DRRR did too, it doesn't.**

"Are you sure about this?" Shizuo growled anxiously, watching the infant in Tania's arms, who was sleeping soundly for once. "I mean, I trust Arlua, but she's living with the flea now…"

"It'll be fine. Even the flea wouldn't hurt a baby," Tania replied. "And Arlua has assured me that he knows the consequences if he misbehaves around Rimiko." Shizuo sighed and nodded.

"All right…"

"It'll be fine, Zuo," Tania insisted.

"I know," her husband grumbled as he lifted a hand to knock on the apartment door in front of them.

"Separation anxiety, Shizu-chan?" Izaya smirked from behind them. "That would be cute if it weren't so sickening," the informant told them as he slipped past them to unlock the door. "Lu-chan, the monsters and their spawn are here," he called as he stepped inside, leaving the door open for Shizuo and Tania to follow.

"Izaya Orihara, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling them that?" Arlua snapped, glaring at her boyfriend as she stepped forward and hugged Shizuo. "Ignore him, Shi. I promise he won't corrupt Rimiko."

"Hey! If anyone is going to corrupt a baby, it's-"

"Germ, hush," Arlua ordered. "Get the diaper bag – _nicely, _please – and out it in the living room." Izaya gave her a sour look as he obeyed, exaggerating his 'niceness' as he took the diaper bag from Shizuo, who had carried it up to the apartment while Tania carried Rimiko. The blond glared at his enemy.

"You better not do anything to my daughter," he snapped. Izaya smirked.

"Don't worry, Shizu-chan, your loyal friend over there has already threatened me with dire consequences if I try anything – not that I would," the information broker added with another sour glance at Arlua. "Lu-chan has no faith in me."

"I have plenty of faith in you," the technician replied as she carefully lifted Rimiko out of Tania's arms and settled the infant into her own arms. "I just also like to cover my bases and be sure of some things."

"Now, Arlua, she-"

"Tania, you've told me everything several times," Arlua interrupted gently. "And I have actually taken care of babies before. You and Shi go on and get something to eat together, or see a movie or something. Enjoy yourselves, and relax. Your maternity leave is just about over, and you need to get used to Rimiko being with other people." Tania and Shizuo nodded reluctantly, their expressions nearly identical in their anxiety at leaving their child with someone else, in someone else's home, for the first time.

"Looks like Shizu-chan isn't the only one with separation anxiety," Izaya observed loftily as the baby's parents left, closing the apartment door behind them. Arlua glared at him, then turned her attention to

The infant, with her bit of brown hair and sleepily-blinking brown eyes, stared up at them. Izaya leaned closer, studying the baby, and got too close.

"She looks more like that protozoan every day," he muttered. His voice must have startled the little girl, because her eyes widened and her tiny fists twitched. One of them caught the informant in the face, her little curled fingers hitting his cheek with enough force to snap his head sideways and back. For a long moment, Arlua and Izaya stared at the baby. "She hits like a mini-protozoan, too. What a brat."

"It's your own fault for scaring her like that," she replied, hiding a smile as the infamous Izaya Orihara gingerly rubbed his cheek to relieve the discomfort caused by a punch from a five-week-old infant. "Right, Rimi-chan? You can't help it," the technician cooed. Izaya shook his head and decided to observe Arlua from a distance as she cared for the little girl, lest he get hit again.

When Tania and Shizuo came to pick up their daughter, Izaya was sulking in the bedroom. He didn't come out until he was sure they were gone, because he didn't want to 'monsters' to see the bruise on his cheek, courtesy of their daughter.


	13. Arlua vs Namie

**Okay, this is one I've been planning for a while and only just got around to. I don't like Namie, so naturally neither does Arlua. This is their first meeting.**

**Disclaimer: I own only my OCs.**

"Who the hell are you?" an unfamiliar voice demanded. Arlua looked up from debating what question and answer to put as Izaya's new password and hint –she had decided that leaving his current password for a full two weeks was way too long— and found a woman with cold brown eyes and long, straight brown hair glaring at her. "If I have to chase you out of here because you're trespassing, I'm going to be pissed." Arlua raised an eyebrow.

"I'm Arlua Teki, I have full permission to be in my boyfriend's office, and even I know that the shirt you're wearing looks horrible with that skirt," Arlua replied, instantly disliking the other woman. "You're Namie Yagiri, right? A secretary should really dress more professionally. If that's how you always dress, I'm surprised you haven't been fired yet."

"My boss is a casual dresser," Namie retorted.

"He's an informant; he has to blend in with normal people, so he can afford to be. As a secretary, you can't," the technician replied.

"You're so full of yourself. You've been causing me no end of trouble! First he was testy and mopey for six months after you kicked him out of your life or whatever. Then, when you two made up, he got really happy, and that's ten times worse!" Namie snapped. "You've completely convinced him that you love him for himself and not his money or influence or whatever, as far as I can tell, and while it's funny to watch and wait for you to crush him again, I can't stand his moods." Arlua forced back a scowl and instead gave the other woman a sickly sweet smile.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, and I'm terribly sorry you seem to think I don't love Izaya for himself. You have my utmost sympathy. Really, you do," she insisted. "In fact, you have so much of my sympathy that I insist you take the rest of the day off. Don't worry, I'll make sure Izzy doesn't count it against you."

"Izzy?" Namie repeated. "What kind of nickname is 'Izzy'?"

"I don't believe it's your place to worry about that," Arlua hissed, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

"I can't believe Izaya puts up with you calling him that," Namie muttered, continuing her previous thought as though Arlua hadn't spoken.

"Since he's your _boss_, I think you meant to call him _Mister Orihara_," the technician growled. Namie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't be petty. I've called him Izaya for ages. I don't see why I should have to change what I call him just because he has a...whatever you're supposed to be now. After all, he's my boss, not you, which I never thought I would say was fortunate."

"He won't be your boss much longer if you don't at least _pretend_ to be polite," Arlua snapped.

"Why, because you'll tell him to fire me? I guess you haven't noticed despite your pitiful attempt at 'love', but Izaya doesn't like being told what to do."

"Oh, because you're such a cooperative little cherry blossom who knows all about him," Arlua snarled.

"I never said that. Actually, I prefer to know as little about him as possible. The whole human race – with the apparent exception of your idiotic self – hates his guts. He's probably just with you because you're the only one who can stand the thought of being around him, which is probably only because you want free information or something."

"You little-"

"Whoa there, Lu-chan," a familiar voice broke in. Both women turned toward the door, where the subject of their argument was standing, head tilted curiously to one side. "We get in trouble of you kill her."

"Only if the police can trace it back to me," she grumbled. Izaya shook his head.

"But Lu-chan, she does all the boring filing and stuff for me. It would be a pain to replace her. Though it might be worth it to see you actually kill someone," he added thoughtfully. Namie scowled.

"On second thought, you assholes were made for each other," she spat. Then she stalked past Izaya, out the door.

"I'm docking your pay for ditching work," he called after her. "And for being so rude to my girlfriend." The two people left in the office waited in silence until she was gone. Then Arlua grimaced and returned back to her previous task of temporarily locking her boyfriend out of his computer. "Please go easy on the password this time, Lu-chan," he murmured. "I have important client information to look up the next couple of days."

"Do my ears deceive me? Is the great Izaya Orihara begging for mercy?" the technician smirked. Izaya shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Only from you, Lu-chan," he murmured. "Because she was right about one thing. You could crush me if you wanted." Surprised, she looked up from the computer and stared at him.

"Izzy…"

"I love you," he said softly. "Now finish setting my new password so I can figure it out." She nodded and typed briskly, then stood.

"There," she announced. He walked around the desk and surveyed the lock screen. He pulled up the hint. It said simply 'One word, no spaces or symbols. A reply.'

He considered for a moment, then glanced at her before typing his guess slowly.

_Iloveyoutoo_

The computer unlocked.


	14. Playing the Game

**Thank you, Bellflower's tale, for this idea! It was your comment about Izaya being protective of Rimiko that made me think of this. I have another idea or two about Izzy being protective of Rimi-chan (also inspired by our conversation), but don't have time to type them right away.**

**Disclaimer: my OCs are mine and that's it and you know that.**

Izaya stared at his chess set, the one he kept in the apartment he and Arlua spent the most time in. This one wasn't set up to show the movements of various factions. Rather, it was a communication between himself and Arlua. Whenever either of them came into the apartment, they made a move on the chess board. The type of mood indicated several things, though there was no set code. For example, if there was an opportunity to capture a piece that wasn't taken, it could mean that one of them was in a good mood and feeling generous. Or it could mean one of them was in the mood to be devious, or simply was too tired to think through their next move correctly.

It was a game not just on the board, but also a game of reading each other's emotions and thoughts.

And now it was all over the floor.

"Rimiko Heiwajima, you are the most violent, coarse, un-cute child I have ever met," Izaya snapped, glaring at the five-year-old girl who had knocked the board over, presumably as revenge for when he had called her "the monsters' brat" one too many times earlier.

"And you're a weak little flea," she retorted, probably repeating something one of her parents had said. But for the informant, it triggered a memory.

-four years earlier-

Izaya emerged from the hospital room to find his Shizuo and several other people waiting. They were all people he knew, but it was Shizuo he focused on. Shizuo was the one he could cent his fury and grief on. He stalked across the room and had a blade to the blond's throat before anyone could speak.

"Why?" the informant snarled. "Why is your daughter so monstrously healthy while mine is dead before she even got a chance to live?" Instead of getting angry, the bodyguard sighed and shook his head.

"Take it out on me if you want –better than you collapsing or going off to rant when Arlua needs you- but you know as well as I do that there's no reason Rimiko is alive when hour kid isn't. Things like this happen. Especially to weak little fleas who think they're above normal problems like losing someone they care about."

-present-

Izaya shook the memory away and sighed.

_Stupid protozoan,_ he thought. Then he focused on Rimiko, who seemed oddly sheepish.

"I wanted to see the board better. It fell," she muttered. Izaya blinked. It hadn't been revenge?

"Why…?"

"I wanna play too. Auntie Lu always plays when we get here," the girl explained. Izaya nodded.

"I'm sure she does," he murmured. She was the one who had convinced him to play regular chess with her after all. He hesitated. Arlua was showering, and he had been left in charge of Rimiko while she did that. The little girl seemed so sad, her caramel gaze on the floor as she waited for him to berate her. "If you help me set it back up, I'll teach you how to play. But don't tell anyone," he added quickly, not quite sure why he was even offering.

Those caramel eyes lit up, and he realized why.

He thought maybe Aria would have had brown eyes. Not that particular shade, of course, but…

"Really?!" Rimiko scrambled to collect the pieces and hold them out to him.

_I can't believe I'm doing this…_ he thought as he showed her how to set up the pieces in their proper places.

"Hey, flea…" Rimiko said quietly. "Can I call you Uncle Iza?"

"Only when no one can overhear," he replied. "And I'll call you Miko-chan, okay, brat?" Rimiko nodded happily.

From then on, whenever Izaya was left in charge of the youngest Heiwajima, he would teach her more about chess, and that year she got a chess set of her own for her birthday, with a tag that read simply 'To: Miko-chan, From: your uncle'

Supai and Kasuka both denied giving it to her, and only Izaya, Rimiko, and Arlua –who had noticed that Izaya only complained about keeping an eye on Rimiko occasionally to put up token resistance- knew(or guessed, in Arlua's case) the truth.


End file.
